Our first international, cold-water trip began at Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

An aside: Pacific Coastal Airlines services Port Hardy from Vancouver. When making reservations for this trip, also purchase a baggage seat for dive gear and photographic equipment. Small plane - strict weight restrictions, but a friendly, helpful company, and very pleasant travel.

The picturesque town of Port Hardy (pop. 4,500) is a 10 min. walk from the Quarterdeck Marina.

Neither stories nor photos of diving in British Columbia does justice to the pristine and majestic dive sites around Vancouver Island. Marine life explosions were not uncommon. Stunning color blanketed 100 -200 foot walls. Diversity is an understatement. One cannot help feeling deeply respectful during each dive.

This diving may not be for everyone. I can't lie - it's cold; most dives were ~47 degrees. Captain Tim organized our dives according to the flood and ebb of the tidal stream, which could pick up quickly and become very strong. We usually ended our dives hanging onto bull kelp, waiting for the boat to pick us up. Bull kelp is a wonderland unto itself!

The Inde dive sled will be the dive boat when the Nautilis land-based operation opens. Gear stays on the boat, and they run a line from the compressor to the whips on Inde. Efficient system, fast boat.

Towing Inde in the mist.

Inde at the last dive site.

Wolf-eel, Anarrhichthys ocellatus

Decorated warbonnet, Chirolophis decoratus

Quillback rockfish, Sebastes maliger

Red Irish Lord, Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus

Kelp greenling male, Hexagrammos decagrammus

Juvenile sculpin? ID needed

China rockfish, Sebastes nebulosus

Sculpin ID needed

Giant Pacific Octopus #1, Enteroctopus defleini

GPO #2 After I found this one resting off the reef, I showed it to the other divers in our group. Later in the dive, I photographed the octo as it slinked back to the protection of the reef.

ALL NEW-TO-ME NUDIS

Orange peel slug the size of a sneaker, Tochuina tetraquetra

Dirona albolineata, white form

Dirona albolineata, peach form

Acanthodoris nanaimoensis

Flabellina amabilis

Oh so tiny Eubranchus sanjuanensis

Doris odhneri

Serpula columbiana, the pinkest one I've ever seen.

• Re: Vancouver Island Diving Delights maggieD 05:52:07 10/16/14 (1)
  • Re: Re: Vancouver Island Diving Delights Kevlar 15:47:57 10/16/14 (0)